Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay on food insecurity in the usa
Essay on food insecurity in the usa
Discussing food insecurity in the United States
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Essay on food insecurity in the usa
“The belly is an ungrateful wretch, it never remembers past favors, it always wants more tomorrow.” (-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn) America is the land of opportunity and diversity, however even in this great nation there are still issues that America faces. There are millions of Americans who face hunger or otherwise known as food insecurity. Food insecurity/ hunger effects millions of Americans including children to the elderly, comparatively there are ways to help combat this issue like donating and volunteering. Food insecurity in America is an issue that this great nation is facing and only a certain number of Americans help to combat this issue. America has a population of over 325 million citizens as of 2017, with 13% of those 325 million …show more content…
“Food insecure seniors are 60 percent more likely to develop depression, 53 and 40 percent more likely to report heart attacks and congestive heart failure, respectively, and 200 percent more likely to develop asthma.” (NCSL) On the other side of the spectrum, children also suffer greatly from food insecurity. Food is the most crucial key for children to grow and develop their bodies in order to function properly.” Additionally, the brain develops rapidly at a young age. Without the right nutrients, the brain cannot develop properly, resulting in long term effects on learning abilities.” (Borgen Project) This means that if children are lacking in nutrients to develop their minds, they will not be able to pay attention to their school materials and will end up falling behind in their classes. When children fall behind, it then leads to another issue with education and getting stable paying jobs. Adults also suffer from hunger in the same way that if they are not getting the proper amount of nutrients in their bodies they will also suffer have sleeping issues as well as being able to function at one hundred percent with their daily routines. While food insecurity seems like it may be impossible to end, there are many ways everyone can help combat food insecurity. There are programs in place already that helps people with food, however these programs can only help as much as everyone decides to help
Food insecurity is a concerning issue that need to be addressed in our current society. In population such as the elderly it is alerting issue. For instance, many older adults lack access, have chronic health conditions and limited support when obtaining food. As result older adults experience nutritional complication such as malnourishment and sometimes death. To reduce the complications associated with food insecurity in the elderly population interventions are needed. This paper will highlight several interventions that addressed the issue of food insecurity among the elderly population. Lastly, this paper will provide detail information on which intervention will be the best approach in increasing food intake and nourishment among the
There is not one true solution to fix these issues. I personally believe that one of the best ways to combat food insecurity in the U.S. would be increasing the federal funding to the assistance programs. Food drives and soup kitchens are another wonderful way to help families who do not have the money to purchase food. This issue will not be resolved overnight, but with the right decisions politically and personally, Americans can help their fellow citizens reduce the national percentage of food insecure families.
The United States is known as the wealthiest country in the world. But, there are many people that can't afford to buy food for their families, many are also homeless. “While hunger affects people of all ages, it's particularly devastating for children even short-term episodes of hunger can cause lasting damage."(“Child Nutrition Programs") Child hunger in the United States is caused by poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, and food shortage; however there are many solutions to this problem like FRAC strategies, food banks, summer feeding programs, and backpack feeding programs.
Of those, 46.5 million were in poverty (Hunger & Poverty Statistics, 2012). For some individuals’s food insecurity is only a temporary situation, for others it may be for an extended period. Food insecurity due to temporary situations such as unemployment, divorce, major medical or illness can become more long term. The vast majority of these are families with children. The Faces of Food Insecurity Food insecurity does not discriminate; it reaches many segments of society (Whitney, DeBruyne, Pinna, & Rolfes, 2007).
President Obama once said, “As the wealthiest nation on Earth, I believe the United States has a moral obligation to lead the fight against hunger and malnutrition, and to partner with others.” Food insecurity has always been an issue of the public as well as around the world. For so long, many generations of Americans have been living in poverty or in a low income state. It would be surprise as to how many Americans are living in poverty. As a result of this living situation, there are problems that arise with it. One of the problems is food insecurity. Food insecurity can be simply explained as not having access to affordable and quality food. This problem can lead to serious
Gundersen, Waxman, Engelhard, and Brown (2010) found in their study that 50 million people (including 17 million children) were food insecure in 2010. Poverty and food insecurity affects the lives of billions of people worldwide and millions of people in the United States. More than two billion pe...
Studies have shown that there is a link between food security, performance in the classroom, and obesity. If this issue is not faced head on, America will have a generation of children not fully prepared for the workforce and high health insurance rates due to obesity health issues. In providing help to people who find themselves in food insecure households, people can be found who are skeptical of their true need. One of the biggest myths of the disadvantaged is that they have poor shopping habits or shop in convenience stores where prices are extremely high compared to those in grocery stores. Another myth is that in America, the land of plenty, those that cannot afford food are lazy or cheats.... ...
In order to determine the prevalence of households that are food insecure, “The Food Security Supplement is administered annually to about 45,000 households as part of the monthly, nationally representative Current Population Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The supplement has been conducted annually since 1995.” (Health Indicators Warehouse, 2013). The survey was developed by the USDA in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control, and asks participants questions about their confiden...
Walsh, Bryan. “America’s Food Crisis.” NEXUS. Eds. Kim and Michael Flachmann. Boston: Pearson, 2012. 166 – 173. Print.
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed”– Dwight Eisenhower. Often times children are the victims of decisions made by their country or parents. Sometimes these actions can affect the lack of food. The lack of food starts a chain reaction that hurts the society overall and does not provide the right amount of nutrition. First of all malnourishment affects children.
It affects millions of Americans and has been increasing dramatically in recent years; in 2012, more than 48 million food-insecure Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (McMillan). The depth of deprivation varies for each family. Food insecurity affects people of all ages and causes more than just health-related problems. Children who are food-insecure have greater chances of anemia, malnutrition, cognitive problems, aggression, anxiety, dysthymia, asthma, mental health problems, oral health problems, behavioral problems and poorer general health (Gundersen, Kreider, and Pepper).
Americans buy and waste food like it’s their job. I am guilty of buying and wasting food as well . For example,we all have a favorite food and have a tendency to want more than our stomachs can hold.How many of us actually go back and eat that food . For example I love tacos especially from my favorite restaurant Nacho mama's. I can't help but order some to go for lunch later in theweek. But my left overs never end up making it to my lunch plate. They end up being thrown to the back of the fridge not to be looked at, until the fridge starts to smell. When cleaning out the fridge one might not think that throwing away a few tacos or a carton of milk is a big deal, but over time food adds up. And it adds up exponentially in our landfills.
Food insecurity and poor nutrition is an alarmingly large problem for low income families, especially in developing countries. Many strategies exist to fight this problem, although not many of these address all the factors contributing to it along with all the possible solutions to solve it. In many cases, multiple strategies must correlate and work together so that all the determinants of this issue are addressed and can fight food insecurity from different angles. This essay will discuss the significance of the problem, a range of possible strategies to solve the problem, and go into detail on a select few that will correlate and work together to solve different factors of food insecurity and poor nutrition.
Eliminating world hunger is an obtainable goal if a few small steps are put into place, with the focus being on growing more food. There are many options that should be utilized in the effort to end world hunger. If under developed countries were taught how to farm their own food and given even minimal supplies and tools it would eliminate a large percentage of the hunger complication. Education is another important dilemma that relates directly to under nourished countries such as Asia and Africa. In the United States there are many government sources for women and children to assist with food sources such as WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Other countries could implement similar programs
“Malnourished children are 20% less literate than those with a healthier diet, says UK charity Save the Children” (The Information Daily). When parents become victims of poverty it can have some very unpleasing long and short term effects to their children. Parents in poverty have a lot on their plate and buying the best quality food or affording enough food can be a tumultuous task. Quality nutrition is essential for the development of the brain. At a young age, poor nutrition or not enough nutrition can seriously hinder “the brain 's development, a child’s ability to learn and has a devastating impact on a child’s future”(The Information Daily). “Malnutrition in the early developmental stages of the brain, by restricting the children’s cognitive growth, can lower a child 's IQ has much has 20 points”(The Information Daily). Long term effects of malnutrition leave permanent damage to the brain, however, malnutrition has short term effects as well. Malnourishment can greatly compromise a child’s immune system, making them more susceptible to infectious diseases. “Low counts of zinc, iron and vitamin A are commonly associated with weakened immune function” (Orphan Nutrition). A deadly infection can have a huge impact on a poverty stricken family leading to less affordability. Malnutrition negatively affects a student throughout their educational